Method of making a sealed joint masonry block wall structure



y 1962 H. WILLIAMS 3,035,375

METHOD OF MAKING A SEALED JOINT MASONRY BLOCK WALL STRUCTURE Filed Aug.20, 1959 44 592 /4 Z0 K/ 46 43 26 60 Z2 Z6 INVENTOR.

V1 (mm/f Man/W5 I %d ZW United States Patent 3,035,375 METHOD ()F MAKINGA SEALED JOINT MASONRY BLOCK WALL STRUCTURE Lloyd H. Williams, 17928Kinross Ave., Birmingham, Mich. Filed Aug. 20, 1959, Scr. No. 834,991 1Claim. ((11. 50-533) This invention relates to building structures and,in particular, to sealed-joint masonry block wall constructions andmethods of making such wall constructions.

One object of this invention is to provide a masonry block wallstructure and method of making the same, with joints which aremaintained automatically sealed against the passage of water, regardlessof shrinkage of the blocks after laying, by means of a resilientmultiribbed sealing strip of weather-resistant material which is placedin the joint at the time the blocks are laid and carried upward as eachtier or course of blocks is laid.

Another object is to provide a masonry block wall structure and methodof the foregoing character wherein the meeting ends of the blocks areprovided with vertical recesses in which mortar is placed, preferablywith the use of -a flexible mortar-retaining sheet between the mortarand the joint-sealing strip, which isolates the mortar from the sealingstrip until the mortar hardens, and thus prevents interlocking of themortar and sealing strip, and

consequent lowering of the sealing elficiency of the sealing strip.

Another object is to provide an interlocked masonry wall structure andmethod of the foregoing character wherein the sealing strip ispreferably located in one of the vertical end recesses of each pair ofmeeting blocks, with the flexible sheet resting against it andprojecting into that cavity from the opposite cavity in the other blockcontaining mortar which causes interlocking of the blocks.

Another object is to provide an interlocked masonry block structure andmethod of the foregoing character wherein the recess containing thesealing strip has a vertically-extending rounded corner surface near oneside thereof, and wherein the sealing strip is placed in this roundedcorner portion of that recess.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a sealed-joint block wallstructure according to one form of the invention, showing the flexiblemortar-retaining sheet in one of the vertical block end recesses and thevertical resilient sealing strip on the other side of the sheet in thesame recess;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken along theline 2-2 in FIGURE 1, showing the relative positions of the partsimmediately after the masonry blocks have been laid with the sealingstrip compressed and before shrinkage has occurred; and

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section similar to FIGURE 2., but showing therelative positions of the parts after shrinkage has occurred and withthe sealing strip expanded while still maintaining sealing engagementwith the adjacent ends of the blocks.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 shows an interlockedmasonry block wall structure, generally designated 10, according to oneform of the invention as consisting generally of a plurality of tiers orblock courses 12, each consisting of a plurality of individual masonryblocks 14 of concrete or other suitable material having their oppositeends interlocked by mortar masses 16 retained at least temporarily inposition by flexible mortarretaining sheets 18 of paper or othersuitable material.

3,35,375 Patented May 22, 1962 ice These prevent the mortar mass 16,while still soft, from reaching and interlocking with resilient sealingstrips 20 provided to seal the vertical control joints or gaps 22between the ends of the blocks 14 and to maintain the seal against theentrance or passage of water even after shrinkage of the blocks 14 andmortar as a result of the drying out of the water in the blocks andmortar. The successive tiers 12 of blocks 14 are separated from oneanother by horizontal layers 24 of mortar.

The individual blocks 14 (FIGURE 1) are of conventional construction andare ordinarily made of concrete in conventional ways, or, optionally,may be made of other suitable materials, such as, for example, cindermaterials. Each block 14 has vertical laterally-spaced end ribs 26 withvertical end recesses 28 separating them laterally. The recesses 28 inturn have end surfaces 30 and side surfaces 32 with trough-shapedrounded corner surfaces 34 of approximately quarter-cylindrical forminterconnecting the end and side surfaces 30 and 32. Each pair of suchblock end recesses 28 on adjacent blocks 14 forms a vertical mortarcavity 36. Each block 14 also ordinarily contains vertical intermediatecavities or chambers 37 separated from the end recesses 28 by end walls38 from which the end ribs 26 project longitudinally of the block 14.Each block 14 also has a top 39 and a bottom 41.

Disposed in the space formed by each pair of vertical end recesses 28between the blocks 14 during the laying of the block tiers 12 is themortar mass 16 deposited against the flexible mortar-retaining sheet 18extending into one of the end recesses 28 against the resilientcompressible sealing strip 20, as described below in connection with theprocess of making and sealing the wall structure 10.

The mortar-retaining sheet 18 (FIGURE 1), as its name indicates, isformed of flexible sheet material, such as building paper preferablytreated with waterproofing compound and also preferably cut in sheets ofsuitable width sufficient to cause its central portion 4%} to restagainst the recess end surface 30 of one recess 28 while its roundedcorner portions 42 engage the corresponding rounded corner blockportions 34 and its parallel side portions 44 rest against the blockrecess portions 32 and span the gaps or control joints 22 between thefacing end ribs 26 of the blocks 14.

The sealing strip 20 of the building structure 16) consists of anelongated strip or body of resilient material, such as expandedpolyvinyl chloride plastic, which is preferred because of its greatresilience, easy compressibility, wide expansibility andweather-resisting qualities. The sealing strip 20 is produced preferablyby extrusion in strips of great length and supplied in coils (not shown)containing many feet of the material. Each sealing strip 24] (FIGURES 2.and 3) has a bottom or back surface 46 which may be originally flat orslightly curved, preferably coated with a layer 48 of pressure-sensitiveadhesive facilitating its installation, as described below in connectionwith the process of the invention. The sealing strip 243 is providedwith substantially flat opposite sides 50 (FIG- URE 3) and with a ridgedtop surface 52 having a central ridge 54 and edge ridges 56 separatedfrom one another by grooves or troughs 58. The ridges 54 and 56 andtroughs 58 are preferably of approximately V-shaped cross-section intheir relaxed or nearly relaxed form (FIGURE 3) and become rounded wheninitially laid (FIGURE 2) as described below.

In carrying out the process of making or erecting the wall structure 10,and sealing the same, according to the present invention, the lowermosttier 12 of blocks 14 is laid up by the mason upon the concrete footingsin the usual manner, after the usual layer or mortar has been placed onthe footings. The blocks 14 are spaced apart from one another by themason with the usual control joints or gaps 22 between their end ribs26. The mason then unwinds a short length of the sealing strip 20 andplaces the back surface 46 with its adhesive layer 48 resting againstsome portion of the end wall 38 containing the vertical block end recess22, preferably the rounded corner surface 34 of the end recess 28 of oneof each adjacent pair of blocks. The mason then lays the rest of thecoil of sealing strip 20 on the top 39 of the block 14 while he insertsa mortar-retaining sheet in the same block end recess 23 with its sides44 overlapping the control joint 22 and extending into the oppositeblock end recess 28 (FIGURE 1). He then pours or otherwise depositssufiicient mortar in the mortar cavity 36 for the resulting mortar mass16 to fill the cavity and press against the mortar-retaining sheet 18and compress the ridges 54 and 56 of the sealing strip 20 lying behindthe sheet 18. An expansible layer 69 of conventional caulk ing compoundis placed in the gap or control joint between the adjacent block endribs 26, such compounds being frequently composed of asphalticmaterials, well known in the building trade.

The mason then proceeds to lay a horizontal layer 24 of mortar on thetops "39 of the blocks 14 (FIGURE 1) and then proceeds to lay the nexttier 12, placing the bottoms 41 of the blocks 14 upon a mortar layer 24in superimposed relationship upon the first tier 12. He unwinds the coilof sealing strip 20 as he does this, continuing it upward vertically andpressing its adhesive layer 43 against the rounded corner surface 34 inthe manner described above, again laying the coil of sealing strip 29 onthe top 39 of the block 14. He then continues to carry out the processin the manner described above in connection with the laying of the firsttier 12, including the laying of the next mortar layer 24, and theinstallation of the next mortar-retaining sheet 18 and mortar mass 16 inthe vertical mortar cavity 36 formed above the previous mortar cavity 36between the end ribs 26 of each pair of blocks 14.

In the subsequent use of the wall construction 10 of the invention, asthe blocks 12 and mortar masses 16 of the wall structure 10 shrinkduring the succeeding months or years, the control joint or gap 22between them widens, this widening, however, being taken up by theconsequent stretching of the caulking compound layer 6% between theblock end ribs 26. Between the recess 23 of one block 14 and theadjacent portion of the mortarretaining sheet 18, the gap also widens,but the sealing strip 20 automatically expands, as shown by the contrastbetween FIGURES 2 and 3, so that its previously-compressed ribs 54 and56 assume their more nearly relaxed forms of V-shapcd cross-section, asshown in FIGURE 3, still maintaining their sealing engagement andtherefore preventing the entrance or passage of water. In this manner,the wall structure It remains effectively sealed over a great length oftime notwithstanding shrinkage of the building materials of which it iscomposed, this shrinkage being automatically compensated for andcounteracted by the invention set forth herein.

What I claim is:

A method of making a sealed-jointmasonry block wall structure frommasonry blocks with vertically-recessed ends, comprising laying aplurality of masonry blocks in end-to-end relationship withvertically-directed shrinkage joints between the outer edge portions ofadjacent ends of adjacent blocks and with vertical cavities formed bythe recessed ends of the blocks, placing an elongated compressiblesealing strip of resilient material against the end surface of one ofeach adjacent pair of the end recesses of the blocks, placing a flexiblemortar-retaining sheet against said recess end surface of each of saidlast-mentioned end recesses with said sealing strip between said sheetand said recess end surface, and pressing mortar into said cavity tosubstantially fill said cavity and urge said sheet against said recessend surface and sealing strip in compressing relationship with saidsealing strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSKuhlhavey et al Jan. 20, 1959 Lackner Dec. 22, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES

